


The Deserter

by OrphanoftheStars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: D'Qar to Naboo to Sullust to ???, Dialogue, M/M, Secret Mission, Slow Build, Stormpilot, space trip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-22 20:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6092373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrphanoftheStars/pseuds/OrphanoftheStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn doesn't have anything: No home, no reason to fight - and no money.</p>
<p>Before leaving the Resistance and starting a new life far away from all the trouble with which the galaxy has to cope, he agrees on taking one last job offer: Organa asks him to go have a look at a potential planet for the Resistance's new headquarter. And Poe is assigned as his pilot.</p>
<p>This story observes the unraveling dynamics between Finn and Poe - two men jammed together in the tiniest transporter the Resistance could spare ... with little privacy and lots of time to talk and get to know each other.  </p>
<p>(--Summary updated: 160313--)</p>
<p>Old summary:<br/>Why should Finn stay with the Resistance? He doesn't have anything to fight for ... yet.</p>
<p>Note the not too subtle subtlety between Poe and Finn!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. D'Qar

It was the third day of Finn being awoken from his deathlike slumber. The third day since Finn had opened his eyes to find a snoozing Poe right at his bedside: with the arms crossed on Finn's duvet and Poe's head resting upon them. Three passed days meant three times that Poe had come jogging down the hallway to the clinical station as soon as all of his official charges had been settled.

But at this third day something seemed to have changed: For the first time since Poe came to find Finn with his eyes open, there was a stern look in those eyes. Gone was the sparkle that had used to give Poe hot chills down his spine all the days before.

He walked in closer to the bed. But he couldn’t pass the distance that suddenly seemed to be built up between Finn and him. Finn’s face remained sincere, only the corners of his mouth shrugged a little at Poe’s sight.

“Hey, Finn.” Poe bit his lip. “What’s up, buddy?”

Finn hesitated before he cleared his throat: “With me?”

“Well”, Poe smiled, “who else?”

Finn shook his head, his eyes slightly drifting to a distant corner of the empty room.

“I’m just-- you know … the General came see me today.”

“Organa?”, asked Poe and waited for a nod before he continued: “… so was she too-- I don’t know … did she irritate you?”

“No, that’s not it. The General, she … well of course we both were irritated when I had to tell her about how Solo, um, died-- was killed.”

Poe exhaled loudly.

“Oh, buddy.”, he said, “I can imagine …”

“She didn’t really ask for it, you know? But I could-- one could tell she wanted to know.”

“Then what did she say?”

“That I was brave. I was brave to go there. I was brave to flee in the first place. I was brave to fight her s-- to fight … Kylo Ren.”

“Hm. I can approve.” Poe tried a shy smirk. “You are a brave man, Finn.”

“She called me a hero.”

“That’s because you are one. I’d call you my hero too.”

Finn sighed: “No.”

“Yes.”, said Poe, “That’s what you are.”

“I’m not. I’m not brave, I’m-- Poe?”

“Yes?”

“I’m leaving.”

“You-- what? What do you mean?”

“That … I am not going to stay: I’m leaving.”

“Oh.”

“I’m not a fighter, Poe. I mean they tried to make me into one. But I am not. I’m free now. And I’m not going to spend my freedom fighting wars-- wars that I have no affiliations in.”

Poe stood straddled for a second. All he could think of was to repeat his: “Oh.”

But Finn’s eyes demanded more than that. Had they been focused on the room’s distant corner for a while, they now focused the pilot commander in his orange attire again. Poe had meant to change into something more civil. But just when the last inspections of this day had been done, a sudden feeling had overcome him that made him want to go see his buddy immediately. He had meant to tell Finn about a comment that BB-8 had made earlier that day: Just after the first training session the droid had dropped among the squad that after all Poe had told it about the escape from the Finalizer, it seemed that with a little practice Finn would easily be a more precise shooter than Jess and Snap together.

Now, in the situation that had just unravelled, Poe felt this story would appear somewhat misplaced. Now he had to find appropriate other words instead. Maybe words like the ones that half-consciously came babbled off his lips already: “What, um, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Finn frowned. “I’m not that back on track yet. But they say I’m going to be. And then … I guess, I’ll have to see. You resistance people do receive foreign freighters here, don’t you?”

“We-- yes, yes of course.”

“Good. That’s great.” Finn sighed as if the outlook relieved him. “Maybe I can hire on one. I can work-- work hard! And they’ll take me somewhere, some nice planet, moon or whatever where I can stay. And live life.”

“That--” Poe’s gorge seemed pretty dry suddenly. “That sounds nice. Sure does sound nice, really.”

“Yeah. Maybe I can be a-- whatever, I’d even be a farmer or something!”

“You can be anything!”, said Poe a little too loud, “And if you need a lift-- you wouldn’t have to hire at some smuggler’s junk ship … I’d take you. I can take you.”

“Really?”

“No charge even!”

“That’s real nice of you.”

“My pleasure.” Poe bowed ironically. “I’ll fly you anywhere you want, buddy.”

“Where-- I don’t know yet. Poe, I haven’t been anywhere! At least nowhere where the Order isn’t involved. And that isn’t where I’d want to go.”

“So … it would be somewhere far away and uninteresting.”

Finn smiled: “Yeah, if that’s possible it’d sound perfect.”

“I shall think of some nice places.”

“Thanks.” Then a thought struck Finn and he twitched: “Just no deserts!”

“I’m going to presume no arctic climate either?”

“Oh, you know me so well already!”

“I wish!” Did Finn realize Poe’s smile wasn’t as bright as it was intended to be? Probably not. His eyes fixated the wall again just as if it displayed an outline of his future.

Poe finally took a seat at the visitor’s chair. He swallowed the story of BB-8 thoughts on Finn’s shooter qualities. Finn didn’t want to be a fighter. Then he shouldn’t be bothered with a fighter’s admiration for his skills. Instead Poe leaned towards Finn’s bed and helped him paint his future’s outline with the brightest colours of all the worlds that he had been to.


	2. The Mission

Finn’s recovery went well. It took him a few days to get back on his feet and only a few times would he flinch his face when he moved his upper body in a way that strained his back too much. He took it well. Poe could only marvel at the huge steps with which Finn came closer and closer to full regeneration.

Most of the times when Poe came around to look after Finn’s state the former Stormtrooper would ask the pilot to take him on a walk. And Poe would smile and say yes and offer him his hand to get out of the bed. They would hit the elevator for the ground level. And every time that Finn would feel insecure and shaky on his legs he would reach out for the other man. And the other man would reach out for him, steady him and say something like: “Whoa there, buddy! Take it slow, will you?”

But Finn would not take it slow. Poe could tell how eager he was to leave D’Qar behind, to hop onboard some dubious clunker and be taken somewhere far, far away. The thought hurt Poe: He would stand there on the runway and watch Finn get lost between the stars.

The times that Finn needed Poe’s assistance became less and less. And as proud and happy as it made Poe to see Finn run around upright and strong – it stung him too. Someday very soon Finn would be running around just like that in a place where Poe would not be able to watch. And someday hopefully not too soon those arms would even be wrapped around a special someone that was not going to be a certain resistance pilot. 

Was it better to innocently pat Finn as often as possible? Or was it better to keep his hands off him once and for all? There was no answer. Trying both options were followed by hollow feelings in Poe’s insides. He made the decision to be around Finn as often as it appeared decent. And maybe a little bit more.

Some weeks after Finn’s reawakening Poe was called to see the general. And when he got order from her to bring Finn to the operational room he didn’t think twice if he should step through the door with him. They found Organa’s silhouette lit by the dim shine of the holograms and screens.

The small woman who was the resistance’s head laid her eyes on Finn for a longer time than it was comfortable for Finn – and for Poe – without speaking a word. Finn stood as stiff as only a man drilled by the First Order could do it. 

“I’ve been informed that you’re not going to stay with us.” Organa’s voice did not give away anything.

“Yes, General.” Finn’s voice sounded as stiff as his posture.

“I heard it with regret.”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”

“As am I. I don’t like losing good people. Be it in battle, be it times of cease-fire …”

Was that a stitch against Finn? Poe stepped forward.

“Finn never had … affiliations with our cause. If anything we owe him--"

“Wait, no.”, said Finn, “You don’t owe me.”

“Yes, we do, Finn!” Poe heard himself be louder than it was necessary: “General, that day he--"

“I am aware, Poe. I remember that day just too well.”

“Right.”, said Poe startled. Something had happened: The look of her eyes, her voice had struck him like an electric shock.

“We do owe you in many ways, Finn.”

“I can’t think of any, Ma’am.”

The General raised an eyebrow: “Don’t underestimate yourself.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

In the moment of silence that followed, Poe stepped a little closer to Finn’s side. It seemed right to show his support for Finn – in regards of Organa as well as Finn.

“I’ve seen a moisture farm boy and a shady smuggler rise to be two of this galaxy’s leading heads.”

“Yeah.”, said Finn, “But I’m not like that.”

“That’d be to our advantage.”, said the general, “In the outcome I saw them both leave everything behind and hide in retreat while what they had helped to build fell back into shambles.”

“General--”, said Poe, “He doesn’t--”

“As I said, Commander--” Organa turned her attention back to Finn, “I have been left by more promising people than Finn is one.”

“Ma’am?”

“I called you here to ask you a favor, Finn.”

“A favor?”

“We’d offer you a job if you will.”

“A job?”

“We’d pay you. We are of course not blessed with any fortunes. And with the Republic annihilated our funds are going to run dry very soon.”

“How much could we spare?”, asked Poe.

“Enough for a runaway Stormtrooper to start a living in a faraway system I’d say.”

“Sounds fair.”, said Finn.

“Note that it would only be enough to start a living. Not make a living.”

“Fair enough. What would it be?”

“I can offer y--”

“Not the money.” Finn shook his head. “The job!”

“Ah.” Not often had Poe seen Organa as pleasantly surprised as she seemed to be at these words.  
How Finn’s willingness to help softened the general’s fierce face made Poe swell with pride to just stand next to Finn. Poe felt a proud little smile cringe on his face at the proof of Finn’s ingenuousness.

“You see--”, said the general, “The First Order is aware of our current location. They were aiming for D’Qar when their base was destroyed.”

“I know.”

“I am not going to wait for them to gather their forces and send them here.”

“You want the first strike?”

“That is one-- yes, we are considering that.”

“But then-- General, I am not going to--”

“Calm.”, said Organa, “What I am asking you to do is not related to those plans.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Your expertise.”

“I’m not following.” Finn looked over at Poe who couldn’t help but keep up his smirk seeing that Finn’s face displayed the same confusion that Poe felt too.

“We found a place that we consider eligible. A place in a distant system.”

“So?”

“So I’d like you to have a look at it … with the eyes of a trained member of the First Order. It’d be a one time job as our consultant.”

“And it would be of help to you?”

“If all goes as planned, yes. I do hope so.”

“Then … I’d gladly help! Just show me the data.”

“There is no data to be shown. We’d show you the system directly.”

“Directly? But … how am I going to get there?”

“Well, that’s why I asked Commander Dameron to join this session.”

This time it was Finn’s turn to smile at the sight of surprise in the face of the man right to his side.


	3. The Ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit this chapter is pretty much an interlude (but I hope it is a nice one!)

Plans had to be made: A route had to be mapped, supplies had to be arranged, a ship had to be assigned. Luckily there was one in their team for every task. BB-8 would be the one to be told which way they would have to fly, Finn would be the one who’d have to beg and rail at the storage section, Poe looked after their ship.

Neither their route nor the question of nutrition meant serious difficulties. The ship that they were given however bewildered all three of them. And not only BB-8, Finn and Poe had to take a second, third and fifth look to believe with what they were supposed to secure the resistance’s future. Other people too found words of pity and mockery as soon as the news about their assigned ship had spread around base.

“Where in the shatters of the Old Republic did they dig out this pile of junk?”, said Jessika Pava when she had come by to check on the wellbeing of her commander.

“You should know!”, said Poe, “It’s good old Correlian quality work!”

“Oh, is that true?” Pava kicked the ramp. “Can it even fly?”

“Poe can fly anything!”, said Finn coming from behind her. “Right?”

His face glistened wet. He had been carrying large sealed boxes for quite some time now and he didn’t seem to get tired. Poe had marveled at his stamina, told him to pause from time to time, to take it easy and to catch his breath. But it appeared that Finn was powerful enough to go on like this without end and Poe had started to feel silly admiring every piece of work that Finn accomplished. Also Poe had kind of run out of cheers and even foolish comments.

He would now just pat Finn on his shoulder and give him grateful looks.

Pava moved out of Finn way. As soon as he had disappeared inside she tilted her head and glanced at Poe in disbelief.

“Right!”, said Poe as if to answer Finn’s question, then winked at Jessika: “See? He knows what’s up!”

“Okay, okay. Don’t mind me.”

“It is of course antique.”, Poe admitted, “But I like to think of it as a somewhat nostalgic chic.”

“Yeah, right: ‘nostalgic chic.’ You, Poe, are as full of shit as a--”

“Whoops, watch your words there, Testor.”

“Fine, I will. Just be aware that this ship stinks!”

“It’s our disguise.”

“Too bad. Your disguise stinks.”

She folded her hands behind her back and continued to walk a round of inspection one time around the ship. At the end her face looked more than displeased. But instead of more mocking she simply explained that other tasks were waiting for her and soon paced of. Not without promising that if Poe left base before saying a proper goodbye to her and the crew they’d be going to have his dear X-Wing repainted in fluorescent colors when he came back.

“You know--”, shouted Poe, “If anything our disguise REEKS! And just a little bit!”

But the other pilot just waved her arm as if to signalize that she wasn’t listening anymore.

“It really is kind of smelly in there.”, whispered Finn who stepped out a few moments later.

“I know, I’m so sorry. I wish the resistance could have come up with something more imposing.”

“Ha!” Finn chuckled. “No need to impress me, I’m pretty unpretentious.”

“Only the best of the best for my buddy! If I were in charge of allocating the ships …”

“Poe, I’m not complaining. It was a joke. It’s fine.”

“Yeah? I really do hope so. I wouldn’t know what to do anyway. Guess we all simply have to work with what we got.”

With a sigh and regret Poe sat down on the ship’s ramp and beckoned Finn to finally take a break and come sit with him.

“Let’s just hope that if the new ships ever arrive others will have it better than the two of us.”

“You’re getting new ones?”, asked Finn, “How’s that?”

“We’re hoping to receive donations.”

Finn nodded approvingly: “Sounds good. Donations are good. What’s it going to be?”

“Meh, keep your expectations low. There is negotiations, you see: The First Order blew up the republic, we blew up Starkiller Base. Many systems are now considering making new arrangements.”

“I get it.”

“And the big questions are: Who is the bigger threat, who is the safest ally?”

“Makes sense.” Finn kept on nodding. “I hope most are going to be on your side …”

“Well, with the Corellian system for example, who’d be willing to provide us with a few new ships, chances are good. They’ve always been in favor of the republic. And in the lights of the recent events--”

“Yeah, I guess the destruction of Hosnia should really have an impact on--”

“Oh, not that much Hosnia!” Poe shook his head.

“Huh? What else?”

“Solo!”, said Poe, “Solo was Corellian!”

“Was he, I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. Because he was also a smuggler and kind of semi-legal after all. But on Corellia? Solo was pretty much a planetary hero since the civil war!”

“That said … I can imagine they are willing to support the resistance.”

“Oh, can you? I don’t think so, he was crazy popular: My parents used to joke that half of the planet’s population around my age was conceived with their mothers thinking of Solo.”

“Oh--” Poe saw Finn pouting his lips and couldn’t help biting his own. “Well, that I can’t imagine.”

“See?” Poe grinned. “Those were the days, glorious days!”

“Excuse you?” Finn reached out with one finger and poked Poe in his side. “I know someone who blew up a machine that fed from the energy of whole stars!”

“So?”

“So, is that not glorious?”

“I’m a humble man.”, said Poe “I had help … one day it’s going to make for an awesome story though!”

“One day.”, said Finn and got back on his feet. “But for now--”

“True. For now our Corellian pile of junk has got to be enough.”

Finn rubbed his hands at his pants, sniffed at them and gave it up with a sigh.

“I know, buddy. I’m sorry. Maybe let the ventilation run a few more hours … we’ll take off at sunset.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really happy that there is you people out there who took some time and read my words! I'm really thankful for that and any form positivity that you gave back! :)
> 
> Now what I got to say is this: When I started thinking of this story I pictured it much darker. But it just so happens that I am totally not in the mood to take any story in any dark direction right now and thus I feel a title like "The Deserter" is a little bit off.
> 
> I'm thinking about calling it quits right here ... and continue the plot in a new story with a goofier title (something like "Unclear Frontier" or "Galactic Short Trip"): How would you like that? If you liked it, would you like one of the titles or can you come up with a better one? I'd really be happy to hear from any of you people out there in the great wide world!


	4. Naboo

Things went smooth: the mission trio, BB-8, Finn and Poe, took of perfectly on schedule. The ship didn’t have as much power as the ones which Poe usually flew. But he had known that before their start and he kept telling himself to keep it cool. For the first stage of their way they were instructed to fly coreward, slightly in the direction of the galactic spin. They were flying straight towards the Naboo system. Poe could spot the distant yellow star right after they had passed the D’Qar atmosphere. With a displeased noise he realized it might take them ages to get there. Any halfway acceptable sprinter could have made it in an blink of an eye. With their freighter they might even have to spend the first night on their mission without having passed the Naboo system. Poe told himself to inhale deeply, then exhale again.

At least Finn was there, sitting next to Poe in the second seat. Of course he was far from being Poe’s co-pilot. But Poe enjoyed the view he had from the corner of his eye: Finn, leaning forward in his seat, a concentrated frown furrowing his brows.

“What you thinking?”, asked Poe.

“Me? Nothing, I’m just looking.”

“For anything specific?”

“Nah, just so …”

“It’s beautiful, huh?” Poe let go of his focus on the Naboo sun that was still so far away and soaked in the lights of all the other stars out there for a moment.

“Yeah … I guess.”

“You what?”, coughed Poe, “You guess? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You-- yes, I know they’re beautiful.” Finn shyly turned his head and continued to speak with a sincere voice: “Can you keep a secret?”

“Me?” Poe gave Finn an assuring look. “For real? Is this or is this not a super top secret mission? No kidding: … discretion is like my second greatest quality!”

He saw Finn nod to himself, but it didn’t seem as if Finn was willing to take the next step and speak on.

“You decide. If you’re willing to tell me, I’d be honored. And I’d never ever tell anybody!”

“I never told anyone, you know?” Finn repositioned himself in his seat and set up straight. He cleared his throat and explained with the same low voice as before and without looking at Poe who sat so close next to him: “It always had my stomach ache-- looking at the stars I mean. It’s always been like … there is dangers and wars and stuff up there where I couldn’t see it. But it would always be there, ready to come get me … and all the others.”

“Oh, buddy.”, said Poe.

“I mean it is beautiful-- they are beautiful. I see that. I’m not blind. It’s just … I never came to take that in without being sca-- without fear.”

“Man--” Poe couldn’t think of anything better to say or do than reach out for Finn and let his hand rest at his forearm. He felt Finn’s muscles tense under his finger’s assuring pressure. “That’s terrible. That sucks! But you’re out of there, you’re safe!”

“I know.”, said Finn. “For now …”

“We’ll find you an awesome place, I promise. Look! You see that yellow star right where we’re heading? That’s Naboo. The planet Naboo is one the most beautiful and peaceful places ever.”  
“Is it our … ‘destination point’?”

“Naboo? I wish. Sadly no. But if you like I’ll take you there some other time! Do you know the Naboo?”

“No …”

“You’d love it! You know, they build breathtaking ships--” Poe smiled and looked at Finn. “Do you want to know one of my secrets?”

“Sure!”

“A personal secret of course …”

“Figures.” Finn smiled.

“Well … okay, so: if we ever overthrow the First Order, right? And we get reparations and I get all my pay and all, then … I’m so going to get myself one of those pre-empire Naboo ships. And I’m going to restore it and take care of it and ride it all across the galaxy.”

“That’s sweet.”, said Finn. And Poe couldn’t help blushing a very tiny little bit.

“What about you?”, he asked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve got to have some hidden ambition, too, don’t you? Some special thing you always wanted?”  
Finn blinked as if caught by surprise.

“I …”, he began but stopped.

“You got something, right? It’s okay, you don’t need to tell me!”

“No.” Finn shook his head. “No, it’s okay. You may know it.”

“You decide.”, Poe promised once more.

“I …”, began Finn once more before having to clear his throat. Every word appeared to be stuck for a few heartbeats: “I … always wanted … a--”

The last syllable came out as mumble.

“I’m sorry.”, said Poe, “A what?”

“A name!” Finn looked up, his face surprisingly distorted with agitation. “I wanted a name!”

“Finn!”

“Yes!” Finn kept looking at him straight. “You remember Phasma?”

“I … um … I don’t recall being introduced to anyone …” Poe tried to smile apologetically.

“I-- I wanted to be like her. She … was one of us. I mean she was a trooper. But she had a name. She had permission to stand out. They let her be different!” Poe saw Finn’s features distort even worse: Finn’s eyes were wetting. “I so wanted to be different, Poe!”

“But you are!”, said Poe helplessly, “Buddy …”

The ship would stay on course, he decided. He blocked the steerage and got up from his seat.

“Finn, you, um … you want a hug, maybe?”

Again Poe had to wait for several heartbeats for an answer: “Okay.”

So Poe kneeled down close to Finn, grabbed his arms with both his hands and tugged the other man towards him.

Silently like a whisper Finn went on explaining until he went out of words: “She had this armor and a cape and all. And we-- I didn’t even have a face … barely had a voice of my own, Poe …”

The former Stormtrooper and the pilot stayed close a little longer until suddenly BB-8’s alarming chirps let Poe look up with concern.

“Something wrong?”, asked Finn.

“Hm, can’t tell. BB thinks, there might be someone chasing us …”


	5. The Flight

“Someone what?” Poe could see all the built up calm on Finn’s face flush away in an instant. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means--”, said Poe while getting back on his seat and taking over the ship’s steering manually, “--we might be in trouble. Someone on your heels on a top secret mission isn’t usually what you want.”

“Should I, um, go for the blasters?”, offered Finn even though they both knew he didn’t want to.

“Yeah, right.” Poe peered at Finn with an irritated look. “The First Order keeps slandering about the Resistance bringing chaos and disorder to the galaxy – and the first thing we do as potentially threatened Resistance agents is start a shooting?”

“No?” Finn sighed.

“Nope, buddy. Not this time. We keep up law and order! Besides this ship isn’t the best equipped for a fight anyway …”

“Then what’s your solution?” Poe watched Finn dry his already sweaty palms at his pants.

“Relax. We’re going--” Poe raised his voice so BB-8, on lookout in an outside port of the ship, could catch its master’s instructions, “--to keep an eye on that! Maybe it’s nothing.”

“And if it’s something?”

“Well, if it really turns out to be something … we play a little hide and seek.”

“Good.” Finn nodded. “Sounds plausible.”

“See? Don’t panic.”

“I get it.”, said Finn, “I get it.”

So for the next minutes they stayed on track and Finn’s face stayed stern and concentrated. And while Poe tried to present an example casual confidence, Black Leader internally visualized how Black One would have handled persecutors.

“Why don’t the sensors recognize anything?”, said Finn after awhile. He had just checked all the display information on their surroundings.

“These sensors?” Poe shook his head. “Because nothing can compete with BB. That ship follows us so far behind we’d have had no chance of noticing it without BB!”

“So … that means-- you admit it? There is someone following us?”

“Apparently. BB noticed it when I blocked the steerage … that took us a few degrees off course – and that ship adapted …”

“That’s not good.”

“No, not really. And I tried it out: It follows every move I make, no matter how negligible it might appear.”

A moment of silence passed, but Finn seemed to be too rolled up to let it intensify.

“Then how are we supposed to hide?”

“Buddy!”, said Poe and he didn’t mean to make the word sound as harsh as it came out, “Trust your pilot.”

“Dang, sorry. But--”

“I got this covered, trust me!”

“I do!” Poe felt Finn’s eyes on him. “Can’t you tell me?”

“Finn, it’s okay. There is a giant asteroid cloud surrounding the Naboo system – and as soon as we’re close enough to that cloud, I’m going to make the engine work as hard as the ship’s body can take it. Those guys behind us will see us disappear between asteroids!”

And to a series of cheeps and beeps coming from BB-8 outside Poe replied with: “Got that correctly! You better get a good grip, little buddy!”

“But--”, interrupted Finn with his forehead frowned, “I thought, we’re at highest speed?”

“No, buddy. We’re at ‘optimal speed’! And you know … rationally speaking we’re advised to go with ‘optimal speed’ all the way and all … but as I see it, situations like these require us to be silly and daring …”

“Good.”, said Finn and nodded in agreement. “I like that.”

“You do?”

“Yepp.”

“Hm. Who would have known?”

“Hey, improvising and spontaneity have taken me further than any of those plans other people keep on making!”

“True that.” Poe couldn’t help but smile. “Got quite a lot in common, you and I!”

Finn smiled back at him.

“How far away is that cloud?”

“Oh.” With an outstretched finger Poe pointed outwards the cockpit where in the distance a few giant rocks suddenly whooshed by their ship. “I’d say we reached the edge already.”

“Awesome!” Finn almost sounded cheerfully. “Then do your thing!”

“I’m about to …”, promised Poe. His eyes narrowed in concentration, his breath went low and steady.

With more and more asteroids passing through their field of vision Poe started to murmur words like a countdown for himself: “Good. Luck. Finding. Us. You. Nasty. Suckers!”

And with the last vocal the world outside the cockpit merged into one: enormous boulders everywhere, the gaps between them they passed sooner than the eye could find them. Poe made the ship twist and swirl and bend and go in ways that seemed impossible. The metal creaked, rough edges hit them. Poe felt the gear in his hands shaking, he tightened his grip. Poe heard shreds of Finn’s and BB’s voices, he hummed soothingly, louder and louder.

And when after an eternity that was after all nothing but a moment, he finally hit the brakes he couldn’t keep himself from screaming out like a madman: “There!”

And he kept on shouting as loud as he could with his short breath: “Did it! We did it! We showed you!”

“You did!”, came Finn’s assuring comment. His eyes were wide like he’d never be able to blink again. But his grin displayed the same rush of madness that had Poe screaming. And he knew both their rushed with the same adrenaline. And they both were covered in seat and out of breath.

“Do you know, what we’re going to do now?”, said Poe still far from average conversational loudness.

“No clue, what?”, asked Finn loosening his seatbelt and getting up to see if his knees would carry him.

“I’m going to land this precious masterpiece of Corellian steelwork in that asteroid’s cleft right there. And we call it a day. And we sleep!”

“Perfect!”

“Right?”

“Never heard of a better plan!”

“That’s because there’s never been a better one!”

“Which bunk do you want?”

“Huh?” Poe had already started to aim for the shadow’s of the asteroid’s depth.

“Up? Or down? Where would you rather sleep?”

“Well, up, I’d say. You?”

“Me too. But you may have it.”

“What, no. Let’s be fair. We make it a game.”

“How so?”, asked Finn and made a dazzled face.

“We guess a number!” Poe raised his voice: “BB-8, we’re playing for beds! Make up a number, one to ten thousand! Finn goes first!”

When the droid gave back a confirming whistle, Poe nodded at Finn.

“Uh?” Finn lifted his brows. “3067?”

“Got that?”, shouted Poe, “3067! I say 5121. Who’s closer?”

Hearing the whistled answer he lightly hit the controls with his flat hand: “For real? You disloyal compilation of-- ah, forget it!”

The ship came to rest with an inelegant rumble.

“So?”, said Finn innocently, “What was it?”

“3067!”, answered Poe, let go of the steering and turned to Finn: “Who’s supposed to believe that?”

“Well …”, Finn shrugged his shoulders and got out of his shirt, “I’m a lucky guy.”

And at his sight Poe didn’t mean to complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this, the next chapter might come pretty soon! :)


	6. The Mynocks

For a second or two Poe couldn’t come up with anything but to blink twice and to swallow to ease his suddenly dry tongue. Even though a gazillion thoughts seemed to be racing somewhere down in the subconscious part of his brain, none turned out to guide his actions any further. Finn’s bare skin made him think of many slurry impression. But wasn’t there tasks to do?

“Right--”, he heard himself say, “--we, um, we’ve got to put somebody on lookout … BB-8!”

“Why?” An alarmed wrinkle reappeared between Finn’s brows. “I thought-- how can they possibly find us? You flew so fast!”

“Those guys following us?” Poe got up on his feet. “No, we’ve seen the last of them. There is no chance they can trace the way we took. But hey, this is space … and you’re never alone in space.”

“Who’d be waiting here? There’s nothing around!”

“Most likely? Mynocks, those ugly beasts are everywhere.” Again Poe spoke up: “BB-8’s going to have to have an eye on that!”

The droid’s answer came fast and indignant.

“Yeah …”, said Poe, “I myself wouldn’t want to get in touch with one either! – … - Nooo, I’d really say you have a way better view on our surroundings from the outside port. - … – Yeah, I know. But what can I do? – … - Uh? Maybe not have wronged the commander-in-chief in terms of settling the bunks!?”

Finn listened to their conversation with his eyes on Poe. He wet his lips repeatedly.

“Who knew a droid could be raised to be so--… – … - Who you call a whiner?! – … - You literally don’t have the guts to-- fine, okay!” Poe threw his hands in the air. “Granted, granted! Then come in if you insist!”

Somewhere above them airlocks could be heard opening and closing. And a moment later one of the indoor patterns of the ship slid aside with a whizzing sound to reveal a somewhat heated BB-8 behind it.

“You play a foul game!”, said Poe as a welcome.

“But you play it well.” Finn kneeled down to pet the little droid whose fiery blinking seemed to sooth a little at the human’s touch. “As far as I can tell …”

“Scared of mynocks!” Poe looked down at his two partners on the ground. “You’d have cut those into pieces, little buddy. And we’d have eaten them for breakfast.”

“Mmh, mynock mince!” Finn craned his head. “I didn’t stress my back to stock us on canned Resistance grub so that in the end I’d be eating something you hunt down in an asteroid field!” 

Seeing Finn’s smooth skin strain across the widespread scar of his back let all the unspoken associations on Poe’s insides spin into even less comprehensible dimensions.

“Only the best for my buddies!” Poe covered his face with a hand to hide a yawn. “Say, aren’t you tired?”

“Terribly!”, said Finn and as Poe offered his second hand to pull him back up on his feet, he took it. The way Finn’s body moved mesmerized him. Finn climbed his bunk without further ado.

“But you--”, said Poe and gestured at BB-8 to roll for the cockpit, “--are still on lookout! Wake me up if anything feels odd! – … - Eh, having your funny moment again? Something odd outside this ship!”   
Poe peeled himself out of his flight suit and let it lay where it fell, along with his shoes and shirt. The lights turned off and he stepped to the bunk: the mattress was thin, the blanket was rough.

The bunk wasn’t exactly comfortable to lie in either (maybe it wasn’t even designed for humans), but he had felt worse. He just wanted to close his eyes and drift into some cozy thoughts, where somewhere deep down the feeling that the sight of Finn’s uncovered body had evoked in him was still tingling.

It is impossible to tell if he had already dozed off when Finn’s sudden whisper hit his ear: “Poe? Poe, I can’t sleep like this!”

“It’s alright.”, Poe gave back without opening his eyes, “Just give it some time …”

“No, Poe, I can’t. It smells.”

“Excuse you?”

“It really does! Kind of real stinky …”

“What are you talking about?”

Now Poe had to open his eyes. And just as he did he saw a silhouette jumping from atop his bed. Finn landed smoothly with his knees bent.

“I can’t sleep like that!”, he repeated.

“Finn--” Poe sat up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“The top bed … stinks.”

“Oh my.” What a situation! “Fine, then we swap!”

“Are you sure?” Poe could tell Finn must’ve looked doubtingly while he watched him get up to the top bunk and sniff a little.

“Mighty god of Endor!” Poe’s breath stuck in his lungs, he coughed and jumped back down. “How did you stand that—took that one second?”

“I held my breath …”

“You held your--”

“I did sanitation, Poe. I’m used to … stuff.”

“But, but--”

“Yepp.”

They stood side by side and felt a little helpless. Poe’s feet got cold and Finn stepped from one to the other too.

“Heck!”, murmured Poe, “What’s the drama? It’s not like I never shared a bed with anyone!”

“Right.”, said Finn and froze. “Me either. But I could—I don’t know, maybe the cockpit …”

“You’re kidding!” Poe sat down on the lower bunk. “If you feel anything like me, you really need to lie down.”

“I do.” Finn sat down next to him and Poe lay down, crawled to the opposite side of the mattress at the wall. It wasn’t exactly far: less than arm length. From the corner observed Finn putting himself horizontally.

“I never heard of a civilized creature that would spread such stink …”, whispered Finn.

“Oh, I can think of some … but no need for you to picture those.”

“Thanks.”

Poe closed his eyes groped for the cover that they both half lay on. If he didn’t say anything now, the day would have been over. But somehow Poe felt there had to be more.

“Have you ever encountered a Hutt?”, he senselessly whispered into the darkness.

“Me? No never, only been told about them.”

“Yeah, they’re not the most pleasant encounter, I’d say. For human eyes at least!”

“Why do you tell me?”

Yes, why did he tell Finn?

“The general’s once been a lust slave to one!”

“What?”

“Yeah, and she strangled him with a chain with which he had constrained her!”

“Organa?”

“You bet! … We’ve got to get her tell you the story herself! You need to hear it from her!”

“Okay”, said Finn, “We’ll see …”

And this could have been it again. This would have good words to end a day. But Poe still didn’t exactly feel as if all was said.

Poe’s chest felt narrow and his heart hurt.

“You know I’m into you, right?”, he heard his own voice put it out there into the darkness.  
Then he heard Finn adjust himself in the cushions.

“I … have been wondering.”, Finn said.

“Good.”, said Poe.

And even if one of them had something more to say, both their tongues suddenly felt so heavy from fatigue, that none could utter any further words.

Or at least that was what it seemed like.


End file.
